


Reflections

by orphan_account



Category: Steam Powered Giraffe
Genre: Both sorry and not sorry, Curses, Dark Magic, Genderfluid Character, Kidnapping, Monsters, Nudity, Other, Weirdness, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 08:05:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7749883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One day, Peter Walter VI is given a mysterious mirror, only told that he could handle what it would bring. No one knows why, but they know one thing; it is unsettling.</p><p>But as mysterious events take over the manor, culminating in The Spine being spirited away by whatever lives in the mirror. Now it's up to everyone else to find a way to rescue him and deal with the creatures involved. But why do they need The Spine? And how is it connected to the ancient sorcerer Salgexicon?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reflections

** Chapter One  
The Gift **

“Peter?”

The young man looked up from his book – a guide on the possibility of time travel and space travel – spotting Steve Negrete in the doorway. He quickly tossed a bookmark into the page he was looking at and nonchalantly tossed the book onto the table next to him. “Hey, Steve?” He asked, still curled up in his chair with knees pressed into his chest.

The sound engineer blinked, looking incredibly confused. “Well, there’s an old lady at the front door asking for you.” He explained, pointing his thumb down the hall behind him. “She won’t leave until she talks to you. She said something about ‘a gift he desperately needs’? I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

Peter remained still for a moment before uncurling himself from his chair. “Okay, if she insists.” He said, scratching the back of his neck. “But, I didn’t order anything online and, as far as I know, I don’t have any long lost relatives who would want anything. So I have no clue who would want anything.”

Steve didn’t say anything else, instead following Peter as he walked out of the room. Even after living in the Manor for the past eight years, the sound engineer still had some problem with navigating the halls of the house, so he was grateful that for once Peter was walking at a normal pace like a normal human being.

Then again, he did give up ‘normal’ a long time ago and it was the best feeling.

Before long, the two men descended down the last set of stairs before the main foyer. True to Steve’s word, there was an old woman standing in the doorway. Her long grey hair was brushed back carefully and set with a red headband, but several strands strayed. She wore a floral dress, a purple pashmina shawl draped across her shoulders and brown loafer shoes. She looked up at the two and smiled, exposing a crooked front tooth.

“I was wondering where you were, Mr Walter.” She said, her voice thick with a Scottish accent. She thrust a wrinkled hand out to him “My name is Gwyneth. How do you do, Mr Walter?”

Peter stepped forward and carefully took hold of her hand, shaking it carefully. “I’m fine, thank you.” He said, unsure of what to do now. “So… Steve told me that you wanted to give me something?”

Gwyneth laughed loudly, a rusty yet kind noise. “You young people are always so eager to get new things. No patience, I tell ya.” She chortled, gesturing vaguely behind her. “It’s right out there. Can’t miss it.”

The masked man peered just over Gwyneth and spotted the large cardboard box, plastered with ‘FRAGILE’ stickers and wrapped in a ridiculous amount of masking tape. “Well… thank you…?”

The old lady smiled wider. “Well, you deserve it far more than I do. And I am sure you can handle it.” She adjusted her pashmina. Her smile widened, her grey eyes crinkling behind cat-eye glasses. “Well, I must be off now.”

“Wait, what?” Steve questioned, eyes widening. “What is this thing anyway?”

Gwyneth’s expression didn’t change. “It is a gift, that’s the main thing you need to know.” She replied, turning on her heel and starting to walk out of the manor. “Don’t worry. It’s only dangerous when you don’t take care of it.”

Before either men could ask any further, the old lady had walked away. She passed through the manor’s gates and ducked into a battered old car.

Peter looked down at the box for a few moments. He glanced back to Steve. “So…” He began. “Where are we going to put this?”

* * *

“…So that’s why this thing’s here.” Steve finished explaining, arms folded.

The three automatons standing before him only blinked in response, although they all held different expressions to the object before them; Rabbit looked mystified, Hatchwaorth curious, and The Spine confused.

For now propped onto the wall of the study was a floor length mirror.

It was oval-shaped with an ornate black and gold frame, leaves and vines detailed with great delicacy, with an oddly unsettling face at the very top. The glass of the mirror itself, however, was black and yet it still reflected everything perfectly.

“So are we going to keep it in here for now?” The Spine finally asked, looking at the frame. “It’s… well… unique… I suppose.”

Steve nodded. “We still have no idea of why that old lady gave us this, but for now, we’re basically stuck with it.” He looked back to the mirror, crinkling his nose in thought as he examined his nearly invisible reflection. “But… I’ll admit… this thing gives me the creeps. Like it’s staring at me or something…”

“…I think it’s hungry.” Hatchworth suddenly blurted out, making everyone else to turn to him. He seemed to ignore the looks and opened up his hatch. “I just have a feeling that it might want something. I’m sure I have something it might like.”

He dug around for a moment before pulling out one of his famous sandwiches wrapped in clingfilm. He dug into his hatch again and pulled out a novelty Wizard of Oz plate. He placed the sandwich and plate in front of the mirror.

“That’s s-s-so sweet of you Hatchy.” Rabbit giggled, smiling widely. “I’m sure the mirror will love it.”

The Spine, however, continued to gaze at the mirror, just making out the reflection of his vibrant green eyes. As he gazed into it, he felt a sense of unease building up within his core. He couldn’t tell why or how he was feeling it, but all that he could say was the same thing that Steve had; it felt like he was being stared at.

Just what was the purpose behind this mirror?

And why were they given it?

* * *

Later that night, the residents of Walter Manor had fallen asleep.

Steve on the couch in his room with Lil Steve on his belly, schematics for the robots scattered on the table next to him.

Hatchworth in his room, a whistle and a stream of steam passing through the pipe in his hat as he lay down.

Rabbit in the Hall of Faces, curled up in a plush pink armchair and cuddling a ragged ‘zombie bunny’ toy to her chest.

The Spine, coiled within the canopy in the Hall of Wires, while his body remained laid out on a chaise lounge.

Everything was still and quiet, not a single movement or sound broke the tranquility. The moon shone down, her pale light illuminating a select few rooms… including  
the study.

The mirror remained on the wall, light glinting insidiously. The sandwich Hatchworth had laid out earlier that day still remained in place. Light reflected awkwardly off of the clingfilm, the display contrasting with the elegance of the mirror.

The black glass seemed to shimmer and ripple…

A hand appeared in the glass, clawed fingers grasping at the offered food and pulling it quickly into the mirror, fast as a recoiling viper. The light glinting on the surface seemed to morph into a fanged smile, sharp and wicked.

And as quick as it appeared, so too did it disappear.

**TBC**

**Author's Note:**

> I did a thing I guess???
> 
> Okay, expect things to go downhill from here for everyone. XD


End file.
